How Long Does Foam Take To Dry

Spray Cream – the Curing Process and the Three E'due south

You might ask "How long does spray take to cure?"

The answer is a few hours.

Spray foam volition exist tack-gratis inside 20-30 seconds and information technology'll rising to completion to where yous tin walk on it within a couple of minutes.

Spray foam has an off-gassing period of a few hours until information technology's 100% cured.

At present that we got curing times out of the way, allow's start begin on how spray foam is laid down.

And just so you know we aren't blowing smoke, West Roofing Systems has been in the spray foam roofing business since 1979. Most of our guys have 30+ years of experience and have been familiar with all the formulation changes in spray foam over these years.

Every commodity written at West Roofing Systems has been edited and approved by a salesman/owner before publishing.

How does spray foam get installed?

Spray foam is the reacted product of two components, an "A" side, and a "B" side, that are mixed and sprayed to a roofing substrate.

In general, a spray foam roofing contractor must be capable of storing, pumping, heating, mixing, and spraying these two components at the textile supplier's recommended temperature, viscosity, and textile ratio. (Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance)

Once the foam is sprayed correctly, a curing process must occur before applying the coating.

NOTE: Coating MUST be applied to spray cream due to UV lighting, which degrades spray foam within 72 hours.

When will spray foam be "tack-free"?

Later on the foam is sprayed, the first step in the curing process is the betoken when spray foam is tack-free.

Tack-free is the fourth dimension that the surface of the foam can be touched with a wooden stick without information technology sticking.

This usually takes xx-xxx seconds.

After xx-thirty seconds, spray cream will begin to develop its waterproofing skin and is very close to beingness walkable.

When can you walk on a spray cream roof?

Spray foam reacts quickly and evolves into a walkable surface inside 1-two minutes later on information technology's sprayed.

Can temperature affect curing? If it's hotter, does it cure quicker?

Temperature non only affects how long spray foam takes to cure; information technology greatly affects how spray foam is laid downwardly.

For Spray foam to be laid down correctly, it needs three types of energy:

Electrical – the equipment used in mixing/heating cream
Environmental – the air temperature, deck temperature, dominicus, etc.
Exothermic – the heat created from the chemical reaction when the A and B components meet

You need all three energies synced for the foam to be installed and cure correctly. Here'due south an case of how irresolute energies can bear upon a spray foam task:

Say it's Oct and you accept a regular speed of foam that'southward meant to be used in 65-ninety caste ambience air temperature. Today it's 60 degrees, so you're at the bottom end of that speed of foam.

2 energies are lacking:

Environment – the air temperature is below what'southward recommended (non controllable)
Exothermic – the chemical reaction will exist too ho-hum because the foam was meant to operate in 65-ninety degree weather condition (controllable)

Solution: A covering contractor will need to increment the amount of heat used in the equipment to mix the A and B sides. As well, you lot may demand to lodge a faster-reacting foam to increase the exothermic energy.

The point is that the surroundings is never controllable, the other two can be by adjusting equipment temperatures or using a faster or slower speed of foam.

You mentioned coating. How long does that take to cure?

It all depends on the weather. On a good, warm mean solar day, it could be tack-costless in 15-xx minutes and be able to walk on within an hour.

On a colder 24-hour interval with no sun, it can have 3-iv hours for the coating to cure.

Conclusion

Hopefully today you learned that spray cream cures 100% within a few hours. Information technology's capable of being walked on within a couple of minutes, but the "off-gassing" period can last a few hours.

Also, nosotros hope you learned a little science today in learning the 3 energies that are needed for spray cream to be laid down correctly.